Today's Battle on Terrorism
Has Roots in Fighting Pirates

U.S. President George W. Bush has described the fight against terrorism as a "new type of war," but historians say this battle might not be so different from previous conflicts.

Powerful governments have often had to face down ruthless, heavily armed individuals who ignored the prevailing rules of civilization. In the past, these people were called pirates, and even if the pirates lacked the ideological motivation of today's...